


Into your arms

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:00:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21804250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: They've known each other for three months, dancing around each other.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 18





	Into your arms

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
> We are back with the other timeline fics. We already saw how their first day working together went down and how it ended, how they met, now it’s time to see how their relationship developed. I decided to not call it a series just yet, not sure if it’s even going to be a series, but I’m having way too much fun with it, so it is a possibility. For now, we have one shots :D  
> Enjoy! <3

„Okay, so that’s official. You’re a masochist.” She said as she rounded the corner of the reading room, two cups of coffee in her hands. Ethan looked up from the book he was currently working with, a smirk pulling on the corners of his lips.

“They let you out of class early? Maybe you should have stayed, it made you cocky.” He muttered, pulling the chair back so she could sit next to him. Passing him his drink, she bumped her shoulder against his playfully.

“What can I say, I’m just that brilliant.” Claire laughed, scrunching her nose at him before adding. “Nah, I’m just joking. They let us out, because Dr. Lavoie had a personal issue and they couldn’t find the substitute for him in time.”

“You _are_ brilliant, Claire, I wasn’t joking.” He looked at her for a long time, smiling at her softly before turning back to his research. She looked over his shoulder, resting her chin against it as she read a few lines off the top of the page.

“How long have you been going at it here? It’s six pm and when we talked in the morning, you were entering the library.” She asked, noticing how his body tensed up a little as she mentioned the time, realizing how long he’s been in that room.

“I guess I lost the track of time. Of course, there are a number of other ways in which I would prefer to spend my day off, but since you had classes, I had nothing better to do than to do some research for the speech I’m working on for the next convention.” He nudged the book with his elbow as he reached for his cup, taking a few sips, closing his eyes, feeling the caffeine filling him up.

“Well, I’m so sorry, Sir, but I can’t skip classes. That’s not what a serious med student does. Besides, I’m pretty sure there is that Doctor that would be pretty upset with me if I skipped classes because I went to spend some time with a guy that has been dancing around me for the past three months.”

Ethan sat back, turning to look at her with a surprised expression on his face. What she said was true, they both knew it, and yet it always surprised him at how she could knock him off his feet with just one glance at him. He wasn’t used to it, they didn’t know each other that long, she definitely had too much of an impact on him. She made him nervous, every time he was with her, her had a feeling he would make a fool out of himself. He cleared his throat, her eyes focused on him.

“I- well- “

“No way. I’ve rendered Ethan Ramsey speechless. Give me my calendar, I’ll write it down or no one will believe me.” She joked, smiling smugly at him before leaning over to kiss his cheek softly. “Oh my god, are you blushing? You’re totally brushing, Ramsey, the sky is falling.”

“You can stop with the teasing now, Herondale.”

They each immersed themselves into their own work for the next hour or so, sharing occasional smiles and looking at one another when they thought the other wasn’t looking, both acutely aware of it happening. Below the table, their feet kept on nudging each other, making them smirk as they did everything they could to not look up from their reading. When the clock struck seven thirty pm, Ethan closed his book with a sigh, turning to look at her. Maybe she was aware of it, maybe she wasn’t, regardless of it, he got a chance to observe the way her nose scrunched up when she found something ridiculous, how her eyes got just a little bit bigger when she stumbled upon a thing she was looking for, or how adorable her dimples were when she smiled, in the exact moment she acknowledged that he was staring.

“I guess that’s the end of our study session, isn’t it?” she asked, looking at him. He nodded, reaching for her book, closing it as he put it on top of the one he was reading minutes ago. “Okay, so what are we doing now? Judging by the look in your eyes, you already have something in mind, so let’s hear it.”

“I was thinking- and it’s just a suggestion- that we could go for a drink or two? The same place as last time?”

“You _really_ want to try that wine I had, don’t you?” she teased him, nodding her head in agreement. “Great idea, Ramsey, let’s go. And try not to trip while you’re staring at me.”

\---- ---- ----

Rather than going there by his car, they decided to drive back to his apartment, leave it there and walk to the bar, since it wasn’t that far. Their car ride was filled with conversation. That is, until he turned on the radio and Claire decided that she wasn’t going to be listening to classical music, as fantastic as it was, when she had a full day of classes after her, and an evening in the bar ahead of them. The very first song that came on turned out to be her favorite. As did the next five. And she sang the lyrics to _all of them._ Ethan was amused to say the least, especially when she leaned really close to him and muttered the lines _‘Just let me stay, stay in your arms, I’m ready to give, give up the fight, into your arms, into your soul, maybe I’m losing, I’m losing control’_ into his ear.

After leaving the car in the parking lot underneath his apartment complex, they made their way to the bar. His fingers found hers, tangling together in a tight grip, his thumb tracing circles on the top of her palm. The only visible sign that he was enjoying himself was the soft smile that grazed his features, even though on the inside he was bursting with energy that even the slightest touch provided.

Upon entering the bar, they were hit with the air that was much warmer than the one on the outside, a strong scent of spices with the undertone of alcohol reaching their senses. He took her coat, hanging it with his on the coatrack before putting his hand on the small of her back hesitantly, steering them both into the booth on the side of the room. Claire leaned back with a contented smile, watching as Ethan ordered them both a glass of wine with spices at the bar. He looked back at her, smiling delicately, looking down at his feet as she winked at him cheekily. A few minutes later he came back, sliding into the seat next to her, shaking his head at her behavior.

“You’re enjoying it, aren’t you.” he stated, resting his head on his hand. She shrugged her shoulders innocently.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just enjoy looking at fine things, and you, Mr. Ramsey, are the finest one here.” She leaned onto the table too, skimming her eyes all over him before their eyes met again. She could see the effect her words had on him. “I also really enjoy making you flustered.”

“Part of your personal charm.” He smirked, inching closer to her. She mirrored his actions, making them sit even closer.

“Is it working?”

“… maybe.”

Their obvious flirting was interrupted by a waiter, bringing their drinks to the table. Once they were alone again, their banter resumed, muttering to each other quietly. He raised his glass, looking into her eyes deeply.

“To the great evening.”

“To the great company.” She shot back, biting her lip, watching as his blue eyes darkened just the slightest bit. He took a sip of the wine, letting the smooth taste graze his tongue, the liquid warming him up, the rich spices tickling his palette. She hummed softly as she drank a bit of her wine, taking in their surroundings. Some sort of a song was playing in the background, one she couldn’t recognize. It did however have a nice beat to it, perfect for some dancing, and it just so happened that she felt like standing up and moving her body a little. Without a warning, she stood up and walked onto the dancefloor, closing her eyes and letting herself loose.

The way she was moving was hypnotizing to Ethan, causing his gaze to be glued to her body. She must have been aware of that, must have felt his eyes on her, because her hips started swaying from side to side, her arms rising above her head. To the outsider, it looked like a consciously made decision, but in reality, him standing up and walking over to her seemed to him like it was happening behind the fog, and only when his hands touched her hips gently did his mind catch up with his actions, making him stop in his tracks.

Claire relaxed back into his as soon as she realized who he was, and continued dancing, reaching behind her to grip the back of his neck, bringing him closer to her. He breathed in her scent, orange blossoms tickling his nose gently. They got lost in the feeling of their bodies, so close together, the hot air that surrounded them, and the music that was setting them both in motion, erasing the rest of the world and leaving only them. Ethan leaned forward, breathing her name, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear, making her shiver.

After the song ended, they went back to their booth, and the whole situation felt like a fever dream. They were both flushed and flustered, eyes wide, breathing heavily. He finished the rest of his drink in one, big swing and they went back to their conversation as though nothing happened, even though on the inside, they were both screaming for more.

Before either of them knew it, the evening became the night and if they had any real chance at getting some rest, they had to leave at that exact moment. Ethan paid for their drinks and went to get their coats. He helped her put hers on, his touch lingering a lot longer than it should, his fingers squeezing her shoulders a little. They left the bar the same way as they came in, holding hands, walking just a bit closer to each other than before.

She was living in the dormitory, not that far away from the bar or his apartment, so their walk wasn’t the longest, but they still made it count. They talked a bit, but not that much, mostly being in complete silence, reveling in the presence of one another, and the feeling of their touch. As her room came into the view, she turned around to him, her blonde hair illuminated with the artificial lighting of the streetlamps, changing the color of her strands from sandy to gold. He reached with his hand, running his fingers through them, smiling at her.

“Are you going to be okay with going back on your own? It is pretty late, I don’t want you to get hurt.” She said, concern coloring her voice. He shook his head, allowing his hand to fall back down against his side.

“I’ll be fine, I would be worried if _you_ had to walk back on your own. That’s why I walked you home.”

“Is that the _only_ reason you did that?” she teased, taking a step towards him, raising her head gently. His eyes flashed with something playful and mischievous as his fingers twitched slightly, fighting the urge to touch her again.

“ _One_ of them. Because I didn’t want anything to happen to you and-“

“Ethan?” she interrupted him with a giggle.

“Yes?”

“You can kiss me now.” she stated, flashing him a grin. His eyes widened, his blue irises darkening a shade or two, his breathing becoming elevated.

It seemed as though he fought with himself on whether he should do it. It seemed like a big deal, and it probably was. It shouldn’t be treated lightly, he wanted it to be important, he wanted it to mean something, he wanted it to be perfect. So many times, he imagined that moment, and none of those scenarios that his mind threw at him in the middle of the night or day included him kissing her outside of her dorm room, but here they were. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he dove forward.

His hand grasped the sides of her face, pulling her closer to him, their gazes locking in an intense stare. He could see all kinds emotions in them, from uncertainty and nervousness to longing and affection, all the things he himself was feeling every time he so much as thought of her. His eyes asked for her permission, one final time, and she nodded, a barely visible movement, before he closed the distance between them, and their lips touched.

It was sweet and it was perfect, everything he could have imagined and more. They melted into each other, her hands coming up to grip his sides gently, pulling him closer by the lapels of his coat. The kisses were slow, gently gaining intensity, mirroring the way he fell for her. He could feel her smiling against him, his one hand moving to her waist, pressing her flush to him with a hum. It could have been an eternity later when he moved away, opening his eyes to look at her. Hers were still closed, a gentle smile of satisfaction pulling on the corners of her lips. When her green irises met his blue ones, he could see how much her emotions gained in intensity in the past seconds. He opened his mouth, whispering her name, and before he could say anything else, she interrupted him.

“Ethan?”

“Yes?”

“Kiss me again.”


End file.
